Ethanol operation seeks water-dumping permission

Water drainage board must be consulted first

Water drainage board must be consulted first

June 13, 2007|By Scott Waltman, American News Writer

An ethanol plant being built near Mina wants to discharge water at the Brown County/Edmunds County line. Officials from Glacial Lakes Energy asked Brown County commissioners for permission to discharge about 242 gallons of pretreated water per minute into northern Snake Creek just southeast of Mina Lake. That amounts to 123 million gallons of water a year. Commissioners did not take action but said it's unlikely they will have a problem with the request. They plan to meet as the drainage board during next week's commission meeting to vote on approval. Watertown-based Glacial Lakes Energy owns Aberdeen Energy, the 100-million gallon plant now being built. Pete Buleen of Glacial Lakes said the water from the plant will be piped three and a half miles to the creek. The route, he said, largely follows a railroad grade. Edmunds County commissioners have already approved the discharge, Buleen said. Gary Vetter, Brown County planning and zoning director, said the discharge volume isn't that great, and that the creek should be able to handle the extra water without problems. Glacial Lakes considered building the plant in Brown County west of Aberdeen but decided to build in Edmunds County instead. Some residents were opposed to the proposed Brown County location. Edmunds County commissioners approved a tax increment financing district for the plant. “The big problem's the pipe's going the wrong direction. It should have been coming from the east (near Aberdeen) to the west (into the creek),” said Commissioner Dennis Feickert, reflecting his preference that the plant be built in Brown County. Instead, Edmunds County gets the extra value in property tax. Buleen said the plant is procuring the necessary permits from the state to do the work.